The Marauders of the Wizarding World
by VoicesOffCamera
Summary: Its the night before graduation and everyone expects the Marauders to be the life of the party. But late into the night, all four have disappeared somewhere into the castle. As it turns out, it was harder to comes to terms with leaving a place that had become a safe haven to them then they thought it'd be. [One Shot written for The Grand Battle Event on the Diagon Alley II Forum]


**The Marauders of the Wizarding World**

"I haven't seen Padfoot in a while," Peter commented as he suddenly materialized at James' shoulder.

Unsurprised, James glanced around the celebration that was still going strong, even though it was now approaching the wee hours of the evening. The first through sixth year students had departed on the train that morning, leaving only the seventh years left in the castle. They had all gathered in the Great Hall for one last party before their graduation ceremony in the morning.

"Honestly, I'm surprised that he lasted this long," James admitted. "What about Moony?"

Peter glanced around for a minute. "Looks like he's heading out the door," he reported, straining up of his tip toes to see over the crowd.

"Yeah, that sounds about right," James sighed. "Do me a favor, Wormtail, go catch up with him and tell him to wait. I'll be out in a minute and we'll all take a walk."

"Yeah, sure, Prongs," Peter said before he turned and scuttled off.

"Everything okay?" Lily asked, looking up at him. She was sitting in a chair next to him, but had shifted her chair so that she could drape her legs over James' lap.

James sighed heavily. "This has been brewing for a while now. I think Sirius and Remus especially are reluctant to leave school. This has been a safe haven for both of them. Peter doesn't seem too thrilled by the idea either, really."

Lily nodded. "I understand," she said. "Do you want me to come with you?"

"That's okay," James assured her. Then he looked around. "Are Mary and Marlene still here?"

"They're over there," Lily said, inclining her head to where her friends were gathered.

"Why don't you hang out with them while I'm gone," James suggested.

Lily rolled her eyes. "Really, James, I don't need a chaperone," she said. "It's not like anything's going to happen right here in the middle of the Great Hall."

"Just humor me, love," James said gently, his tone light but his eyes pleading with her.

Things had changed. It was suddenly a dangerous world that they were living with. A dangerous world that they were about to step into as full-fledged adult witches and wizards.

It was a daunting thought.

Lily dropped her feet back to the floor so that she could lean forward and kiss James on the cheek. "Don't worry too much. I'm not ready to be dating a grey-haired, old man." She smiled warmly at him as she stood up and started heading over to where Mary and Marlene were.

For a moment, James could only sit and watch her go, smiling slightly to himself. But all too soon he was forced to come back to reality. He needed to make sure his friends – his brothers – were okay.

He heavily pulled himself to his feet and made his way through the crowd. He had to brush away a couple wayward balloons that were losing the effect of their hover charms as he reached the door. He shot one last longing glance at the excited crowd of soon-to-be graduates before he turned and passed through the door into the Entrance Hall beyond.

He spotted Peter and Remus just at the top of the stairs. He quickly made his way up to them.

"Seems we still have one more wayward Marauder," James commented, making an effort to keep his tone light.

"I still think we can nick the Map back from Filch," Peter said. "It would make it easier to find him."

"No need," James assured him. "I know where he'll be."

James started leading the way up through the castle. He went at a slower pace than he normally would, mindful that Remus was still limping slightly from his most recent transformation. As they came to the final staircase, James dropped back and casually draped Remus' arm over his shoulder. Remus shot him a grateful look, weariness clear in his features as they climbed the steep steps. Finally, they stepped out onto the top of the Astronomy Tower.

And there he sat, just where James knew he would be.

The dark figure of Sirius Black sat on the small wall that surrounded the open tower, his feet hanging over the ledge and out into the empty air hundreds of feet above the grounds below. James always hated when he sat like that. It seemed like such a precarious perch, and if he was being honest with himself, Sirius had not been particularly stable lately – both mentally and emotionally.

If Sirius had slipped off of the ledge and met his demise on the grounds below, James would have never been sure if it had been an accident.

"There you are," James called loudly, as if he hadn't been absolutely certain that this was where Sirius had disappeared to. Sirius glanced over to them as they approached, not looking at all surprised as he inhaled off his half-smoked cigarette. "We were wondering where you had gotten to."

Sirius' lips quirked, but the feature seemed somewhat out of place in comparison to his stormy eyes. He plucked the cigarette out from between his lips.

"I needed a quiet place to think of an epic final prank for the ceremony tomorrow." He was trying to sound lighthearted, but James could clearly hear the strain in his tone.

"I'd be careful; we may be leaving but that doesn't mean McGonagall won't still give out detentions," James said with a chuckle.

"Can I bum one?" Remus asked, speaking up for the first time.

Sirius held out his pack of cigarettes for Remus to take. After he took a stick, he automatically handed the pack to Peter, who also took one before finally handing it over to James. It was a common routine among the four of them, who all drifted between being social and serious smokers, depending on moods and stress levels. As James pulled out a cigarette he took a seat on the edge of the wall next to Sirius, though he kept both feet firmly on this side of the wall.

"C'mon, mate, for my own sanity," James said, placing a gentle hand on Sirius' shoulder – proud of his friend when he didn't flinch away from the physical contact, which was a feat in itself given what his home life had been like before he had run away – and sending an uneasy glance at the grounds so far below them. "At least one foot on solid ground, okay?"

Sirius rolled his eyes, but thankfully complied as he swung one leg over the wall to rest on the solid ground of the Astronomy Tower, now straddling the wall as he still swung one leg lightly out in open air.

"Thank you," James said sincerely with a relieved sigh. He paused to light his cigarette with the tip of his wand, never caring for Sirius' Muggle lighter. When he spoke again he made an effort to sound more upbeat. "Now, I demand that all three of you lighten the hell up. This is our last night here, and I will not stand for all this sulking!"

"Easy for you to say, Potter," Sirius mumbled.

"C'mon, Padfoot," James implored.

"He's right, James," Remus said softly, moving to lean against the ledge on Sirius' other side. "It's not going to be as easy for us out there as it will be for you."

James raised his eyebrows skeptically at that. "You're not serious." There was a beat of silence where not even the pun on Sirius' name was mentioned. James sighed heavily. "You are all acting like this is the end of us. It's really not. It's not like we're going to leave this school and the Marauders are going to cease to exist. We're simply changing locations. Instead of being the Marauders of Hogwarts we are going to be the Marauders of the Wizarding World."

More silence met that statement. Clearly none of the rest of them were impressed by the sentiment.

"I get it," James finally went on, his tone sobering. He gazed around at his friends, carefully meeting each of their gazes. "Sirius is hunted by his own family… Remus will struggle with prejudice against lycanthropes… Peter is afraid of fading away without his friends. I know your fears. But if you think it's going to be easier for me, you're wrong. I'm going to be the bloke standing between Sirius and his psychotic relatives. I'm going to be the one making damn sure that Remus can live comfortably, no matter his working situation. I'm going to be the one making sure Peter always has his friends to support and protect him."

He paused, wondering if he should go on. Then he decided now was as good a time as any.

"Anyway… it's not as if they won't be coming after me as well. After all, a pureblood marrying a muggleborn in the middle of their war against all muggleborns… I'm thinking many are going to frown upon that."

It took a moment for that to sink in.

"Are you saying…?" Remus said slowly, a spark of life behind his eyes.

"Did you get engaged without telling us?" Sirius demanded, swinging his leg back over so that he could more squarely look at his friend.

"I haven't asked her yet," James mumbled, suddenly feeling self-conscious as he rubbed the back of his neck. "But I'm going to. Tomorrow, after the graduation ceremony. I dunno if she's even going to say yes…"

"She would be crazy not to," Peter said with a grin.

"We're talking about Evans, right?" Sirius asked.

"Yes, I'm talking about my girlfriend, you git," James laughed.

"She has seemed strangely fond of you lately," Sirius added, smirking. "I'd put the odds at about sixty-forty in favor of her shooting down a degenerate such as yourself."

James reached out and gave his friend a playful shove. "Well, there's the ego boost I was hoping for," he snorted sarcastically.

"Congratulations, Prongs," Remus said with a smile.

"Come now, Moony, there's nothing to congratulate yet," James pointed out, rolling his eyes. "But see, this is what I was hoping for on our final night in this place. We should not be dreading leaving. We are on to bigger and better things! No more homework, no more classes, nothing is dictated for us. Starting tomorrow, our lives are whatever we want them to be!"

"Since when are you so annoyingly chipper?" Sirius griped as he deliberately blew smoke in James' direction, though the smirk was still playing at his lips.

"It's the end of the year, everyone is allowed some sentimentality," James said matter-of-factly. "Honestly, even when I was leaving the party just now, Snape actually looked sad to see me go."

"That looked more like tears of joy if you ask me," Peter pointed out with a laugh.

James shrugged, unconcerned. "Close enough." He gazed around for a moment. "I think I'll miss this place. Even Mrs Norris."

Peter shuddered at that. "I won't. That cat always gave me the creeps."

"That's because she could smell the rat in you, Wormtail," Sirius laughed, shoving Peter lightly with his foot.

The four Marauders stayed up all night, going through almost two packs of Sirius' cigarettes as they talked about what their futures might hold until the sun began peaking over the horizon. They talked about things they hoped to achieve by the time they turned twenty-five and what they thought their lives might be like.

Little did they know that one amongst them would spend his twenty-fifth birthday in a cell in Azkaban. Another would be in hiding. Another would be recovering from a transformation alone.

And the most hopeful amongst them wouldn't live to see his twenty-second birthday.

Life was cruel in that way. The Marauders of the Wizarding World would have to learn that not everything was as black and white as they were taught in school. The Marauders of the Wizarding World would learn quickly that loss would become a normal part of their lives and that they would have to sacrifice more than they ever thought they could in order to protect those they loved.

But, each in their own way, the Marauders of the Wizarding World would do their part to defeat a truly evil man. And they would change the world.

* * *

 **Grand Battle Prompts**

 **Dialogue prompts:**

4\. "Snape actually looks sad to see me go." / "That looks more like tears of joy if you ask me." (4)

5\. "I'd be careful; we may be leaving but that doesn't mean McGonagall won't still give out detentions." (6)

6\. "I think I'll miss this place. Even Mrs Norris." (5)

 **Word prompts:**

Degenerate (1)

War (1)

Homework (1)

Celebration (1)

Balloons (1)

 **Character prompts:**

 **Song prompts:**

'Friends Forever'—Vitamin C (6)

 **Total Points: 26**


End file.
